The Scandal Grinds On

February 12, 1986

It was probably foolish to hope that former federal prosecutor Thomas Sullivan would be able to step in and, through an open and dispassionate investigation, bring the City Hall scandal to a clean and satisfactory close. Mayor Washington made a bold move in naming him. But the very things that made it bold also made it backfire. Mr. Sullivan and the administration were not able to come to terms over the limits of his powers. Apparently at issue was whether Mr. Sullivan would be able to deal with law enforcement officials and speak out in public without getting anyone`s permission. That made the administration balk, and so before he even got started, he was out.

There is a painful inevitability about these affairs that seems to grind along like doom. The players have ample warning of what to expect at every turn, and yet they go ahead and step right into the trap.

Bringing Mr. Sullivan in gave a fair amount of credibility to the mayor`s insistence that he wants only to find out who did wrong and move against them. But that credibility derived from Mr. Sullivan`s reputation as someone who would not allow himself to be controlled. In other words, the advantage of the appointment was the very risk that it entailed.

Like it or not, having brought him in, getting him out again makes it appear that the Washington administration has somebody to protect, something to fear. And the speed of the turnaround only adds to the mayor`s problem, as if he had to act before Mr. Sullivan found out anything worth knowing.

Mr. Sullivan`s appointment was an invitation to Mayor Washington`s critics to exploit the theory that Mr. Sullivan`s had a conflict of interest because his law firm had done a fair amount of business with the city. It was not in their interest to have the mayor taking the high ground and having Mr. Sullivan there with him, because they want to use this whole business to discredit the administration. The last thing they want is a happy ending in which City Hall is rid of malefactors and the mayor gets part of the credit.

Now Mr. Sullivan`s leaving gives the mayor`s opponents another opportunity. And it is all the more attractive to them because there is no downside risk. They don`t even have to do very much to exploit it this time. They just have to stand by and watch as the mayor trips himself up.

Mr. Sullivan`s replacement, Michael Dockterman, may be as skilled, independent-minded and unbending as Mr. Sullivan. But his appointment does not do much to soften the impression left by the failure to keep Mr. Sullivan aboard. Mr. Dockterman is simply not as well known. And he comes with some baggage of his own, having represented the city in a contract dispute over a

``people mover`` for O`Hare International Airport that itself may be drawn into the federal investigation. Corporation Counsel James Montgomery figured in that dispute as well as in the events the mayor says he wants his internal inquiry to clarify.

When Mr. Sullivan was brought in, it went a long way toward putting a better face on the situation. And the pity is that his parting makes it all look much, much worse.